Mask structure



Nov. 28,. 1944. .1. E. DUGGAN MASK STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 8, 1942 INVENTOR.

J AMES EDWARD DlUGGAN ATTORNEYS .ly removed without marring Patented Nov. 28, 1944 umrso 1 STATE s eATENT "OFFICE MASK STRUCTURE James Edward Duggan, New Brighton, Pa. Application September 8, 1942, Serial N0. 457,658

(on. 91- V o Claims.

This invention relates generally to mask structure forprotecting one portion of a given surface from paint or the like applied to'another portion thereof, and refers more particularlyto mask structures ofthe type mentioned that are applicable to and adapted to protect surfaces having odd or irregular. contours beaded surfaces, or corrugated, roughened or uneven surface that heretofore were diiiicult or impossible to mask satisfactorily. The invention contemplates also the provision ofa mask structure applicable to airplane fuselages, wings and control elements, as well as vehicle bodies, boats and military vehicles such as tanks, trucks, tractors and the like.

I fact, any given surface, whether smooth or otherwise, may be masked by my improved structure.

One Of the essential objects of my invention faces to which the structure may be applied.

Another object isto provide a mask structure that may be easily and quickly applied to the surface to be protected, that will effectively mask such structure, and that may be easily andquickwhich it is engaged.

Another object is to provide a mask structure that will stand repeated handling and use and is serviceable whenever needed. tape o-r'similar material of any kind is needed,

hence none is scrapped or wasted as heretofore.

Other objects, advantages and novel detail of construction of this invention will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein! Figure 1. is afragmentary perspective view of the surface with i No adhesive a mask structure applied to a given surface to be a Slight with parts broken away and.

Figure '5 is a.) bottom perspective view of the structure illustrated in Figure 4.

Referring now to the drawing,,A is a masking element, and B are attaching elements of a mask structure embodying my invention. As shown, the masking element A is a laminated structure and has a relatively thick lower layer In for engagement with the work and a relatively thin backing sheet H. and backing sheet I I may be secured together in surface to surface relation by any suitable means, such, for example, by an adhesive substancace ment or bonding agent, and may be any shape or configuration desired.

Prcferablyfthe layer H1 ,i formed of rubber, rubber composition, felt or felted fibrous material or any other flexible and yieldable material that i softenough to obtain the desired masking operation. The rubber used may be natural, synthetic, reclaimed, or sponge, orany combination thereof, as desired. The backingsheet ll may be formed of sheet metal or any other sheetmaterial of suficient' strength to form a backing relatively stiff and rigid or may be flexible and pliable, but in either instance is relatively thin. In the present instance, the laminated struc- 'ture forming the masking element A is provided at spaced points thereof, preferably adjacent the corners, with openings l2 for the reception of the attaching elements 3. Preferably the walls .of these openings. are stepped as illustrated in Figure 2 by having the openings l3- in the backing sheet H smaller than the openings 14 in the lower layer I, however this arrangement may be varied as desired.

The attachingelements B are loose in the and 'bear upon the backing sheet 1 l of the masking element.

Preferably the-suction cup portions 15 corr spend to the suction cup structures embodied in my application filed March 23, 1942, bearingv Serial No. 435,890. More specifically, each suction cup portion I5 is formed of resilient material such as rubber or rubbercomposition. and has a I concavo convex body 20 provided at the center thereof with the stem l8. Within the body 20 at one side of the stem l8 isa spherical hole 21, while at diametrically oppositesides of said hole The layer l0 are aligned cylindrical openings 22 and 23. The

opening 22 is relatively small and extends inwardly from the hole 2| to the concave suction face 24 of the body 20, while the opening 23 is.

or finger piece 29 by which it may be manipulated and has a longitudinally extending passage 30 and branch passages 3| and 32, respectively;

for air. As shown, the longitudinally extending passage 30 extends inwardly from the outer end of the valve element to a point substantially at the center of the spherical portion 26, while the branch passages 3| and 32 extend from the'inner end of said longitudinally extending passage 30 to and are normally closed by the walls of the hole 2| upon opposite sides of the inwardly extending-opening 22.

Preferably the spring arms l6, and 1 are alike and are integral parts of a leaf spring that is provided substantially mid-way its ends with a .suitable slot 4| for the stem l8 and has a length in excess of the diameter of the openings l2. To obtain the desired results, such arms I6 and I1 have arched portions 43 and 44 that extend over the edges of the openingslZ and have open return bent end portions 45 and 46 that seat upon the backing plate I I.

' Thus, when it is desired to protect one part including the corrugated portion50, of a given surface 5|, from paint being applied to another part thereof, the masking element A may be applied to the part to be protected as illustrated in Figure 1 so that the lower engaging surface of the-soft and yieldable lower layer l thereof will conform to the contour of and completely cover ormask the part, including thecorrugated portion, of the surface to be protected. The attaching elements B will hold the masking element A in the applied masking position. This may be accomplished by simply pressing the stems |8 of the respective suction cup portions l inwardly relative to the openings l2 in the masking element to cause the suction faces 24 of such suction cup portions to create a vacuum and properly adhere to the surface 5|. When this is done, then the spring arms I 6 and I! will be compressed to yieldably press and hold the masking element A firmly against the part of said surface to be protected. If desired, the stem l8 of each suction cup portion I5 may be separate from and threadedly engaged with the body so as to be adjustable to vary the tension on the, spring arms l6 and I1.

When it is desired to remove the masking element A from the masking position mentioned, the valve elements 28 of the suction cup portions may be pulled outwardly a slight amount to cause the resilient walls of the holes 2| in the respective concavo-convex bodies substantially to be distorted or deformed sufficiently by the spherical portions 26 of the valve elements to allow the branch passages 3| and 32 in such valve elements to be uncovered and thereby permit" air from the atmosphere to flow throughthepas sages in the valve elements and theinwardly ex- .tending openings 22 in the bodies 20 tothe suction faces 24 to break'or destroy the vacuum, b

- tween such f acesand the surface 5| engaged thereby. The mask structure as a unit may then be bodily removed for subsequent engagement with another part of the same surface or with another surface, as" desired.

In Figures 4 and 5 I have illustrated a slight modification wherein the masking element A has only strips 60 of soft material as aforesaid at the margins or edges of the underside of the backing sheet Il Preferably such strips 60 are spaced apart or broken away adjacent the corners of the backing sheet? as illustratedin Figure 5 but may, if desired, be' continuous and uninterrupted. Also in this construction the backin sheet may be provided at approximately the center thereof with an opening 6| representing a letter of the alphabet, a numeral or other design or configuration and may be providedat the edges of such opening with continuous strips 62 of soft material as previously described. Such strips 62 would, of course, be substantially equal in depth to the strips 60 at the edges of the backing sheet Il Moreover, other stripped openings may be provided in the backing sheet I Within the area thereof bounded by the strips 60 instead of or in addition to the one stripped opening 5|, as desired. .Attaching elements B, corresponding to the attaching elements 13, would be used in suitable openings |2 in the backing sheetll to hold the masking elementA in proper masking position.

What I claim as my invention is: 1. A mask structure of the class described comprising a plate-like masking element f-or cov-ering a surface to be protected, and means for holding said element in operative masking position relative to said surface, the plate-like element being provided upon the underside thereof with cushioning means for yieldably supporting the element upon said surface, said means being formed of resilient material so as to conform to' and fit snugly against any uneven portion of said surface, the holding means being loose'withrespect to said element and including suction means beneath said element for engagement with said surface, and spring arms upon said element and operatively connected to said suction means.

2. A mask structure of the class described comprising a plate-like masking element for covering a surface'to be protected, and means for ho1ding said element in operative masking position relative to said surface, the plate-like element having holes therein at spaced points thereof and provided upon its. underside with cushioning means for yieldably supporting the element upon said surface, said means being spaced fromv the holes in said element whereby said holes are uncovered, and formed of resilient material so as to conform to and fit snugly against any uneven portion of i said surface, the holding means being loose within said holes and including suctionmeans beneath said element for engagement with said surface, and arched spring arms terminally seated upon said element and operatively con-f nected to said suction means. I I

3'. A mask structure of the class described comprising a laminated plate-like masking element for covering a surface to be protected, and means for. holding said element in operative masking position relative to said surface, the. lowermost ply of said laminated element being formed of resilient material for yieldably supporting said the openings therein. x

4. A mask structure of the class described comprising a plate-like masking element for covering a surface to be protected, and means for holding said element in operative masking position relative to said surface, the plate-like element having holes therein at spaced points thereof and provided upon its underside with resilient cushioning means for yieldably supporting the element upon said surface, said cushioning means being spaced from the holes in said element whereby said holes are uncovered, the holding means beingloose with respect to said element and having an upstanding portion extending freely through said holes, said holding means including suction means beneath said element and engageable with said surface, and spring means spanning said holes and terminally seated upon the upperside of said element at substane tially diametrically opposite points of said holes, said spring means being connected intermediate its ends to the upstanding portion aforesaid of said holding means.

5. A mask structure of the class described comprising a plate-like masking element for covering a surface to be protected, and means for holding said element in operative masking-position relative to said surface, theplate-like element having holes therein at spaced points thereof and provided upon its underside with cushioning means for yieldably supporting the element upon said surface, said cushioning means being spaced from the holes in said. element whereby said holes are uncovered, the holding means being loose with respect tosaid element and having a portion free within said holes, said holding means including suction means beneath said eleable freely within the opening within the lowermost ply and engageable with said surface, and spring means upon the uppermost ply of said ment and engageable with said surface, and springlmeans spanning said holes and terminally aforesaid of said holding means disposed within said holes. H v i 6. 1A mask structure of the class described comprisinga laminated plate-like masking element for covering a surface to be protected, and means for holdingsaid element in operativemasking position relative to said surface, the lowermost ply of said laminated element being formed of resilient material for yieldably supporting said element upon said surface andfor conforming to and fitting snugly against any uneven portion of said surface, theuppermost ply of said laminated element being a backing plate, said plies having I registering openings therein, the holding means being loose with respect to said element and having an upright portion extending freely through and movable within said registering openings, said holding means includingsuction means movable freely Within the opening in the lowermost ply and engageable with said surface, andspring means seated on top of said laminated element and having a part connected to said upright portion. 7. A mask structure of the class described comprising a laminated plate-like masking element for covering a surface to be protected, and means for holding said element inoperative masking position relative to said surface, thelowermost ply of said laminated element being formed of resilient material for yieldably supporting said '1 element upon said surface and for conforming to and fitting snugly against any uneven portion of said surface, the uppermost ply of said laminated element being a backing plate, said plies having registering openings therein, the holding means being loose with respect to said element and having a portion extending freely through and movable within said registering openings, said holding means including suction means movlaminated element'and connected to the portion aforesaid of the holding means.

JAMES EDWARD DUGGAN.

seated upon the upperside of said element, said spring means being connected to the portion 

